Combination ashtray container device

ABSTRACT

A combination ashtray container device comprising an upper member and a lower member slidably disposed on each other, forming jointly there together a substantially cubical body, the two members being slidable along one another along an inclined plane, having openings therein and constituting displaceable portions of said members, the lower member adapted as a container and the upper member alone as an ashtray.

United States Patent Inventor Paolo 'Illche Via F. Turn" 3, Milan, Italy Appl. No. 838,527 Filed July 2, I969 Patented Nov. 23, 1971 Priority July 6, 1968 Italy COMBINATION ASI-ITRAY CONTAINER DEVICE 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 220/20.5, 220/41 Int. Cl B65d 1/24, B65d 43/12 Field of Search 206/195 C,

19.5 D, 19.5 E, 19.5 F; 220/20.5, 41,1 R; 217/62 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,102,275 7/1914 Kime 220/20.5 1,164,583 12/1915 Drapalik... 220/1 R 2,528,819 11/1950 Cohn et a1. 220/41 R 3,084,789 4/1963 Kirby 220/20.5 X

Primary Examiner-Raphael H. Schwartz Atmrney-Emest G. Montague ABSTRACT: A combination ashtray container device comprising an upper member and a lower member slidably disposed on each other, forming jointly there together a substantially cubical body, the two members being slidable along one another along an inclined plane, having openings therein and constituting displaceable portions of said members. the lower member adapted as a container and the upper member alone as an ashtray.

PATENTEDHUV 2 3 I97] mummsmun Fig.4

Fig.3

INVHNTOR. PAOLO TILC HE ATTORNEY.

1 COMBINATION ASHTRAY CONTAINER DEVICE The present invention relates to a combination ashtray container device, in general, and to a combination ashtray device, having means for discharging the contents of the ashtray into a lower container disposed therebelow, in particular.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination ashtray container device, comprising two slidable superimposed members including an upper member constituting an ashtray, and a lower member constituting a container, the two members together having a general cubical shape subdivided obliquely into the upper ashtray member and the lower container member also serving as an extinguisher, the two members being slidable on each other.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination ashtray container device comprising, an upper ashtray member and a lower container member, the members being slidably disposed on each other along an inclined plane, constituting a part of the members and subdividing obliquely the ashtray container device into the two members, the lower member including an opening on its oblique inclined upper surface and the upper member including an opening on its oblique inclined lower surface, both openings being laterally offset when the two members are disposed in operative closed position, and together substantially in the shape of a cube, and both openings aligned when the upper member is slidably shifted relative to the lower member, causing the contents of the upper ashtray member to fall through the openings, constituting a trapdoor, into the lower container member.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a combination ashtray container device in accordance with the above-mentioned objectives wherein the upper member is suitably guided slidably on the lower member upon manual displacement and upon release automatically slides back into its operative ashtray use position by gravity.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination ashtray container device designed in accordance with the present invention in operative position for ashtray use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the combination ashtray container device in displaced position with the upper ashtray member shifted relative to the lower container member for discharging of the contents of the ashtray member into the lower container member;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation view through the center of the combination ashtray container device in the closed operative position of F 1G. I; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation view through the longitudinal center of the combination ashtray container device in the displaced position of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 3, an ashtray and container assembly designed in accordance with the present invention comprises a lower container member 1 and an upper ashtray member 2, slidably disposed relative to each other, along an oblique plane. The lower container member includes a thickened base portion la of substantially square shape, a short rectangular wall lb and an enlarged rectangular wall 10, the latter being disposed opposite and parallel to the rectangular wall lb. The wall is practically square shaped. Connecting the rectangular walls lb and 1c at the sides thereof are two identical trapezoidal walls ld, having oblique inclined upper edges M.

An inclined upper wall 1e, parallel to the inclined upper edge 1d, extends between the opposite trapezoidal wall 1d and spaced slightly beneath the edge 1d of the trapezoidal walls. The portions 1f of the trapezoidal walls 1d adjacent the upper edge thereof, and particularly the region thereof between the upper edge 1d and the inclined wall 1e constitutes lateral guides for the sliding of the upper member 2 as will be hereinafter described.

The inclined upper wall 12 of the lower member, extends from the top edge lc of the larger rectangular wall 1c of the container member 1 to an end portion 12' thereof spaced from and lower than the upper edge lb of the smaller rectangular wall 1b, and defines a small opening 13 between the lower end 1e of the inclined wall 1e and the smaller rectangular wall lb. A discharge opening 1h extending completely between the trapezoidal walls 1d is formed in the inclined wall 1e, substantially extending from beyond the center to nearly the end of the upper portion thereof and substantially for more than onehalf of the distance from the upper edge lc of the larger rectangular wall 1c to the upper edge lb of the smaller rectangular wall lb.

The member 1 forms inside the walls thereof a hollow interior container chamber lk communicating with the opening 1!: and serving for the temporary storage and collection of the contents of an ashtray, as will more fully be explained hereinbelow.

The upper ashtray member 2 is formed of two parallel trapezoidal sidewalls 2a, spaced from one another by a distance so as to complementarily fit slidably within the guide portions lf of the trapezoidal walls 1d and along the inclined wall 1e of the container member I.

The ashtray member 2 includes a very short rectangular wall 2b and a larger rectangular wall 20, joining the trapezoidal sidewalls 2a.

The vertical walls of the ashtray member are substantially thicker than the vertical walls of the container member 1, althoughnot limited thereto, as may be noted in FlGS. 3 and 4, and when the upper ashtray member is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 1, the larger rectangular wall 20 at its lower portion abuts overlappingly the interior surface lb" near the top of the shorter rectangular wall lb of the container member 1 (as may be seen more clearly in FIG. 3). The bottom 20' of the rectangular wall 2c is inclined substantially along the same angle as the inclined wall is of the container member and covers the opening g at the bottom (right-hand side) of the inclined wall le, sitting on the edge le' thereof, the thickness of the wall 20 being slightly larger than this opening lg. The interior surface 1b" constitutes an abutment means for holding the upper member 1 in the position of FIG. 1 and from sliding by gravity to the ground. In this closed position the shorter rectangular wall 2b of the ashtray member 2 at its outer surface is substantially flush with the enlarged rectangular wall 1c of the container member 1 (FIG. 3). In this closed position, constituting the operative position for use as an ashtray, both members form substantially together an approximately cubical shape with the shorter rectangular wall 2b of the upper member 2 aligned with the larger rectangular wall 10 of the lower member 1, and the shorter rectangular wall lb of the lower member substantially aligned with the larger rectangular wall 2c of the upper member 2.

In the center of the upper portions of the trapezoidal walls 2a and the larger rectangular wall 2c there are formed cigarette, cigar or the like, holding recesses 2d.

The bottom of the upper ashtray member 2 is formed with an inclined floor 2e, which inclined floor 2e is inclined at the same angle and parallel to that of the inclined wall le of the lower containerv member 1. The upper member 2 is slidably disposed supportingly on the lower container member 2 with the inclined floor 2e of the upper ashtray member 2 disposed on and parallel to the inclined wall 1e of the lower member 1. As a result of the weight of the upper ashtray member 1 and the inclination of the walls le and 2e, the ashtray member 2, by itself, automatically slides into or maintains itself in the closed or operating ashtray position of FIGS. 1 and 3, when not acted upon by a displacing force.

The inclined floor 2e of the upper member 2 extends obliquely from the bottom surface 2b at the interior side of the rectangular wall 2b, substantially across the greater part of the length of the upper member 2 and terminates at a rear lower end 2e spaced from the inclined bottom surface of the large rectangular wall 20 by a distance slightly greater than the right-hand portion 1e" of the wall 1e of the lower container member 1, defining an opening 2f near the larger rectangular wall 20, so that when the upper member is in the closed or operative ashtray position (FIGS. 1 and 3), the opening 2f of the wall 2e is covered completely by the portion Ie" of the inclined wall 1e of the lower container member. Similarly the lower inclined surface 20' of the rear rectangular wall 20 of the ashtray member 2 covers the smaller bottom opening 13 of the inclined wall 1e.

The lower surface 2b of the rectangular wall 2b of the upper ashtray member is inclined at the same angle as the wall portion he of the lower member 1 for a complementary fit thereon in the closed operative position of FIGS. 1 and 3.

In the closed operative position the inclined floor 2e of the ashtray member 2 completely covers the disposal opening 1h in the inclined wall 12 of the container member 1, and the inclined wall 1e covers the opening 2f in the inclined floor 2e of the ashtray member 2, in this position both respective openings lb and 2f being displaced relative to each other and in the inoperative or closed position.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 4, the upper ashtray member 2 may be slidably moved from the position of FIGS. 1 and 3 into the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, whereupon the opening 2f communicates with the opening 1h. This may be accomplished by sliding movement of the upper member 2 relative to the lower member I manually by hand.

Thereafter, once the force retaining the member 2 in the displaced position relative to member 1 is released, the member 2 slides by its own weight under the influence of gravity downwardly returning into the closed position of FIGS. 1 and 3. Accordingly, the structure of the present invention is gravity biased into the closed or ashtray operating position, in which position the upper member may be used as an ashtray in the normal sense and without any of the contents. At that time, falling into the lower container.

When it is desired to clean the ashtray or to remove temporarily the contents of the ashtray member 2 into the lower container 1, it is merely necessary that one push the upper member 2 to the left (into the position of FIG. 4), whereupon the inclined walls 2e and 1e slide against each other in at least two-point contact, maintaining stability during the entire sliding path, until the openings 2f and 1h communicate, whereupon, the contents of the ashtray member 2 fall through the aligned openings now uncovered into the container member I.

In normal ashtray use position (FIGS. 1 and 3), due to the inclination of the wall 2e of the ashtray member 2, the ashes, etc. fall to the bottom portion thereof at the right-hand side of the interior of the ashtray, adjacent the opening 2f and the rectangular wall 2c, and accordingly when it is desired to dispose the contents of the ashtray member 2, into the lower container member I by sliding the ashtray to the left, the rectangular wall 20 pushes the contents therealong until the opening 1h is uncovered and the contents fall into the lower container. Accordingly the opening 2f of the ashtray member is, in accordance with the present invention, provided adjacent the wall 2c at the lowermost portion of the ashtray member 2.

During the sliding movement and in all positions of the ashtray member 2 relative the container member I, at least two points of contact are maintained by the upper member 2 on the inclined wall 1e. In the position of FIGS. 1 and 3, the lower inclined surface 2c of the rectangular wall 2c abuts the end portion 1e of the wall Ie"; the lower inclined surface 2b of the rectangular wall 217 abuts the upper portion of the inclined wall Is, and the ends of the inclined floor 2e abut portions of the inclined wall 1e. These points of contact are along the entire lateral width of the inclined walls.

During the sliding movement (FIG. 4), the lower surface 20' of the wall 20 and the inclined floor 2e of the ashtray member 2 slide along the wall portion Ie" of the inclined wall 12 of the container member 1.

A projection 2g extends at the bottom of the inclined floor 2e of the ashtray member 2, which projection 2g serves as an abutment limiting the sliding displacement movement of the ashtray member 2, to the left, to the position shown in FIG. 4, whereupon further sliding to the left is prevented. The projection or abutment member 23 is positioned on the bottom of the inclined floor 2e of the ashtray member 2 at a distance such that when the abutment member 23 hits edge 1m of the inclined wall Ie, the lower inclined surface 1c of the rectangular wall 20 of the ashtray member 2 is supported at a position adjacent the uppennost end of portion 1e on the inclined wall 12 of the container member 1, and the entire opening 2f of the inclined floor 2e of the ashtray member 2 exposes the opening Ih of the inclined wall 1e of the container member.

With the abutment member 2g, accidental sliding removal of the ashtray member 2 from the container member 1 by too forceful a movement of the ashtray member to the left is prevented, avoiding possible spilling of the ashtray contents onto the floor and, at the same time an advantage is provided permitting the full extent of the opening 2f of the inclined floor 2e to be exposed, as well as simultaneously providing at least a two-point stable support of the ashtray member 2 on the inclined wall 1e of the container member 1.

After disposal of the contents of the ashtray member 2 into the container member 1 (i.e., in the position of FIG. 4), it is merely necessary to release the upper ashtray member 2, and automatically by gravity the ashtray member 2 slides to the right and returns by itself into the position of FIGS. 1 and 3, whereupon an empty ashtray is available for immediate use.

Accordingly the present invention provides an emptying of the ashtray contents by just simply sliding the upper ashtray member 2 to the left to expose the openings in the inclined walls, and then releasing the ashtray which returns automatically to the use position. A disposal of the container member can be made at a later time, by simply lifting the ashtray member 2 off the container member 1 and then disposing of the contents of the latter through the fully exposed enlarged opening 1h now completely uncovered. No mechanical covers, latches, or hinges with swinging parts are required, as frequently in the prior art, with the combination ashtray container device of the present invention and the device may be readily operated and serviced with a minimum of effort.

The guide wall portion 1} and the inclined walls serve to permit a stable returning automatically of the ashtray to the operative ashtray closed position of FIGS. 1 and 3 upon release from the dumping position of FIGS. 2 and 4. The abutment portion or rim 1b" of the shorter rectangular wall 112 of the container member terminates the downward (toward the right) return sliding of the ashtray member 2, and maintains the latter in the operative position of FIGS. 1 and 3.

Accordingly with the present invention the ashes and butts placed in the upper ashtray part during use may be cleared from the ashtray when so desired by manually sliding the ashtray member to the left causing the trapdoor openings to coincide and open, the contents then falling into the underlying container.

The angular inclination of the walls 1e and 2e provides a smooth automatic return to closed position and may be designed as desired.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

I. A combination ashtray container device comprising a lower container member having an inclined wall having a first opening therein,

an upper ashtray member having an inclined floor parallel to said inclined wall and slidably disposed thereon and having a second opening therein,

said upper ashtray member further defining a top opening,

said first and second openings out of communication from each other in a first relative positioning of said members constituting an operative ashtray use position,

lowermost portion of said inclined floor of said upper ashtray member,

said first opening located substantially adjacent the uppermost portion of said inclined wall of said lower container member,

said first opening larger than said second opening, both openings extending across the entire width of said members, respectively, and

said upper ashtray member removably disposed on said lower container member. 

1. A combination ashtray container device comprising a lower container member having an inclined wall having a first opening therein, an upper ashtray member having an inclined floor parallel to said inclined wall and slidably disposed thereon and having a second opening therein, said upper ashtray member further defining a top opening, said first and second openings out of communication from each other in a first relative positioning of said members constituting an operative ashtray use position, said first and second openings in communication with each other when said members are slid relative to each other into a position slidably displaced relative said operative ashtray use position, and said operative ashtray use position of said members being when said members are substantially vertically disposed.
 2. The device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said members includes sidewalls constituting guide portions overlapping the other of said members for guiding said members slidably therealong.
 3. The device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second opening located substantially adjacent the lowermost portion of said inclined floor of said upper ashtray member, said first opening located substantially adjacent the uppermost portion of said inclined wall of said lower container member, said first opening larger than said second opening, both openings extending across the entire width of said members, respectively, and said upper ashtray member removably disposed on said lower container member. 